A peaceful autumn scene along Peru Creek, near Keystone, Colorado, but there's more to the picture than meets the eye. Peru Creek is heavily polluted by toxic heavy metals, present in concentrations that kill fish in a few days. Click on the picture to learn more.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Every river has a story to tell, and the streams in the high country of Colorado more than most. Some local streams were literally turned inside-out by the dredgeboats, as miners intensified their search for gold. Some have been heavily polluted by the after-effects of hard-rock mining, as weathered rock leaches zinc, arsenic, cadmium and other metals into the water. Other streams are drained down to a sad trickle in the fall, as ski resorts divert more water than they really need for snowmaking. Check out the photoblog to learn a bit more about our local waters and water around the world. All photos by Bob Berwyn.

This is Straight Creek, during a June snowstorm. The little stream runs down from its source above the Eisenhower Tunnel alongside I-70 to Dillon, where it serves as the main source of municipal water. During the 2002 drought, the stream almost went dry, prompting the town to participate in multi-million dollar project to enlarge a historic reservoir to serve as a backup. Click on the photo to learn more about our local waters and water in other parts of the world.

The water in the Antarctic Sound can be smooth as glass, and sometimes look thick and oily, probably because it's so cold. Click on the photo to learn about some of the environmental issues in Antarctica.

A summer thunderstorm builds over the Mondsee, part of a chain of glacial lakes in Austria's Salzburg region, where limnologists are desperately trying to understand how global warming will affect the aquatic resources.

The pristine Mayfield River in Jamaica is clean enough to drink. After swimming in some of the Mayfield Falls pools and watch fish in the crystal clear water, we took a sip, encouraged by our guide, and felt no ill effects. Click on the picture to read a travel story about Jamaica.

The Caribbean Sea viewed from Cockroach Caye in the Turneffe Atoll near Belize. Leigh and I enjoyed an incredible snorkeling tour with one of the best guides I've ever met. Carlos Miller explained to us the critical ecosystem of mangroves and corals.

And home, sweet home - Dillon Reservoir, in Summit County, Colorado is a key water supply for Denver, capturing immense quantities of snowmelt from the local mountains during spring runoff.